I just today, recieved a showroom condition Clapton artist Strat. I bought from GC in South Bend, Indiana, used. It is a lace sensor era...Like the empty head that I am...the deal was just really sweet...never ask what year it was! I figured that the papers would tell me...and...of course...nothing. I havent had time to look at the heel, and I tried several searches...none of which panned out...the headstock reads SN79500016.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks,

Mike

1997 most likely however there are some time periods that are messed up and I dont know them so if anyone knows for sure they'll post.

[quote="pink-floyd-fan"]1997 most likely however there are some time periods that are messed up and I dont know them so if anyone knows for sure they'll post.[/quo

Thanks a lot for the help...
Mike

By 1997 the serial numbers on the Artist Signatures had gotten pretty well on track; I would be confident that a Clapton with an "SN7XXXXXX" serial number would be a 1997 or a 1998. There are two ways to get a better production date - email the serial number to Fender Consumer Relations (they have a database that can verify the color and likely even tell you what dealer the guitar was originally shipped to) or take the neck off and check the date stamps on the neck heel and in the neck pocket of the body.

The Artist Signatures were really messed up in the late 1980s/early 1990s - seems like most of them had "SE9XXXXX" serial numbers as late as 1993 or even into 1994. Of course by 1997 Fender had a lot more Artist Signature models so they were going through more decals than back in the late 1980s when they only had the Clapton and the Malmsteen models.